From Timothy Agbor/OSOGBO
The attempt by the management of the National Centre for Technology Management, (NACETEM), to relocate the centre from Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile- Ife, Osun State, southwest Nigeria, to Abuja may cause severe crisis if the proposed decision was not jettisioned.
This warning was given by Ife Youth Vanguard and the group also vowed that any attempt to relocate the centre from its present headquarters in Ile-Ife may lead to crisis, maintaining that it would resist the move.
Specifically, the chairman of the governing board of the of the centre, Senator Ben Collin was accused of alleged imposition of Mr. Yusuf Abdullahi Mohammed, as the acting Director General of the centre despite his allegedly not being academically qualified for the post.
It was reliably gathered that of the 17 DGs in all the parastatals under the Ministry of Science and Technology, all except Mr. Mohammed was neither a professor nor a PHD degree holder.
The chairman of the board, Senator Collins, was alleged to have deliberately bent the rule to accommodate his preferred candidate, Mohammed for the post of DG of the centre, the seat which became vacant in November, 2013 after the exit of Dr. W.O Siyanbola, who served the centre for two terms of eight years.
According to a petition dated December 10, 2013 by the Academic Staff Union of Research Insititution, ASURI, titled: “SAVE NACETEM FROM DESTRUCTION”, the union noted that a recent development in the centre makes it necessary to cry out to well meaning Nigerians to save the centre from imminent destruction.
The “SOS” letter signed by the chairman ASURI, NACETEM branch, Dr. O.A Jesuleye, stated that Mr. Mohammed had on assumption of duties in November last year, presented a new version of the draft Enabling Law of NACETEM to the governing board.
He disclosed that some of the amendments to the draft Enabling Law include relocation of NACETEM headquarters from Ile-Ife to Abuja, removal of research and training activities from the mandate of NACETEM and removal of PHD degree as a prequsite for the appointment of a DG/CEO of NACETEM.
“ASURI members are therefore praying all Nigerians to prevail on the federal government of Nigeria to appoint a qualified person who is versed in the activities of the institute as vthe Acting Director General pending the appointment of a substantive Director Genral” the letter added.
However, Ife Youth Vanguard, the host community in its letter to the Minister of Science and Technology, urged the supervising minister to reject outrightly the dratf enabling law presented to the governing council of the centre by the Acting Director General.
The letter signed by Comrades Oladimeji Tajudeen and Akintola Jeleel, chairman and secretary respectively of Ife Youth Vanguard; also advised that to forestall any breakdown of law and order, Mr. Mohammed should be asked to proceed on retirement since he has served for eight years as a director, while a competent researcher, with not less than a PHD degree in Science and Technology be appointed as Chief Executive Officer.